MyBinding Knowledge Base
Comparing and Contrasting the GBC CombBind C55 and C75
General Binding Corporation (GBC) is the number one manufacturer of plastic comb binding machines and they offer two very basic products for this type of binding: the GBC CombBind C55 and C75. This article will compare and contrast these two units and determine which one is the one to get if you need a simple way to bind your documents.
Punching and Binding Capabilities
The C55 is a very basic machine that can only punch 5 sheets of paper per lift. While this punching capacity would be adequate for small booklets, using this device to punch a longer document would be tedious. However, you can only bind booklets that contain up to 90 pages with this device, so depending on your needs, this punching ability might be workable. You can use combs that are up to 0.5 inches thick with this unit.
The C75 offers more punching and binding power. It can punch up to 10 sheets at once and your documents can contain as many as 125 pages. Also, this product can punch oversized covers.
Neither one of these machines has disengageable dies, so you will only be able to punch and bind documents that are letter size or covers that are slightly oversize (8.75″ x 11.25″).
Special Features
The C55 has a rotary comb opener and a push lever used to punch your paper. That eliminates the need for a bulky handle and allows this product to be extremely compact. Meanwhile, the C75 has a full-sized handle that both righties and lefties can use. (See the next section for more about these units’ construction and design.)
If you’ve ever had trouble selecting which comb to use, you’ll be pleased to know that the C75 has a comb selector so you’ll have no trouble selecting the perfect comb for your booklet. Meanwhile, the C55 lacks a comb selector, so more guesswork will be involved. (However, it does have a paper alignment guide.)
The C75 has a removable chip tray so emptying it will be mess-free. The other machine’s chip tray is very small and needs to be emptied often. You also cannot remove it like the C75′s tray.
Also, if you use the C75, you’ll be able to bind your documents with GBC ZipBind spines, so you’ll be able to edit your documents more easily while also giving them a different look.
Design and Construction
Both of these products were made to be lightweight and not take up a lot of room. The C55 is especially compact and will be able to fit in a tiny space, such as desk drawer. It’s also small enough that workers could take it on business trips, if necessary, and it has a carrying handle to make transporting it no trouble at all.
Meanwhile, the C75 is larger and has a full-sized handle, so you won’t be able to tuck it away in a tiny, little space. However, you can lock the handle in the “down” position to make it a little bit more compact.
One of the downsides of the C55 is that every part of it is made out of plastic, even the teeth, so this machine isn’t durable at all and will likely break after a while. The other machine contains metal parts (including the teeth), making it the more durable product.
Price and Warranty
Both of these products come with a limited one-year warranty. Based on its construction and other attributes, the C55 is the cheaper of the two, with a list price of $84.95. The other device is priced at $114.00, a difference of about $30.00.
Conclusion
The GBC CombBind C75 is definitely the better one of these two devices due to its construction, punching and binding capacity, and its special features such as the comb selector. Unless you need to be able to make booklets on the road (something the C55 can help you out with), the C75 is definitely the machine to get.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
